JP2006011531A - Downloading method for program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently download firmware in a short time. <P>SOLUTION: When a writing program 16 is stored in a RAM 16 of a Bluetooth (R) module 11, a writing program 16 reads an electronic signature command from a flash memory 12 and extracts a model specific to the flash memory included in the read electronic signature command. Then, when firmware to be downloaded is sent from a PC 17, the writing program 16 stores the received firmware in the flash memory 12 based on data specific to the nonvolatile memory model kept by its own program, that is, based on information about block configuration including a writing start address and a writing end address of the flash memory and the size of the block. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a program download method, and in particular, firmware that is a program for determining the function of a device such as a wired LAN or wireless LAN access point (AP), Bluetooth module, etc. The present invention relates to a program download method suitable for use in downloading from a device.

  Devices such as LAN access points (AP), Bluetooth modules, etc. have programs such as firmware (hereinafter referred to as “flash”) stored in non-volatile memory such as internal rewritable flash memory for function change, version upgrade, etc. It is configured so that it can be downloaded from outside and rewritten. In order to download the firmware for this version upgrade, etc., first of all, the writing program is loaded from the external device such as a PC into the RAM provided in the device to be downloaded, and then the firmware is downloaded. It took a long time to download the firmware.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a firmware download method according to the prior art. The prior art described here assumes that the device whose firmware is to be downloaded is a Bluetooth module. In FIG. 3, 11 is a Bluetooth module, 12 is a flash memory, 13 is a RAM, 14 is a port, 15 is a boot program, 16 is a write program, 17 is a PC, and 18 is an Inf file.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the Bluetooth module 11 includes a flash memory 12 that is a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a RAM 13, and a port 14 as an interface for connecting to the PC 17. When the Bluetooth module 11 is reset in the boot mode for downloading the firmware, the Bluetooth module 11 loads the boot program 15 stored in a ROM (not shown) into the RAM 13 as shown in FIG. Is activated.

  When the PC 17 is connected to the port 14 of the Bluetooth module 11 and the writing program 16 is transmitted from the PC 17, the writing program 16 is taken into the RAM 13 via the boot program 15 as shown in FIG. After loading the write program 16 into the RAM 13, the Bluetooth module 11 can download data such as firmware to the flash memory 12 via the write program 16, as shown in FIG.

  Incidentally, the flash memory 12 provided in the Bluetooth module 11 has various capacities such as 4 Mbytes, 8 Mbytes, and 16 Mbytes, and even flash memories having the same capacity are divided into units called blocks. There are various block configurations. For this reason, if the capacity and the block configuration do not match, the flash memory is different, so there are many types of flash memory. The firmware is downloaded as shown in FIG. 3D by a host program provided in the PC 17 for sending data and a write program to the flash memory.

  That is, prior to downloading the firmware, the PC 17 reads the Inf file 18 having information indicating the configuration of the flash memory 12, transmits the data of the Inf file 18 to the Bluetooth module 11, and then downloads the firmware to be downloaded. Transmit to the Bluetooth module 11. When receiving the firmware after receiving the Inf file 18, the writing program 16 of the Bluetooth module 11 downloads the firmware to the flash memory 12 using information indicating the configuration of the flash memory 12 included in the received Inf file 18.

As a conventional technique related to a firmware download method, for example, a technique described in Patent Document 1 is known.
JP 2003-122588 A

  The firmware download method according to the prior art described above requires a firmware to be downloaded after writing a write program into a RAM of a device to which the firmware is to be downloaded from a PC, and is a non-volatile memory for storing the firmware. Every time a flash memory changes, an Inf file that tells the host program in the PC the flash memory block configuration and a writing program corresponding to the flash memory must be renewed. There is also a problem that the burden of is large.

  The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, make an Inf file unnecessary for all types of flash memory, and enable a common use of a write program, An object of the present invention is to provide a method for downloading firmware that enhances versatility, reduces the load of creation, and allows firmware to be downloaded quickly.

  According to the present invention, the object is to download a program from a device on the transmission side to a device on the reception side, wherein the device on the transmission side has a program to be downloaded to the device on the reception side, The receiving device has a memory for storing a writing program and a non-volatile memory for storing a downloaded program, and downloads the program in the transmitting device to the non-volatile memory of the receiving device. When the transmission side device and the reception side device are connected via a communication line or a bus line, and the program is transmitted from the transmission side device to the reception side device, the reception side The writing program in the device on the side is not valid due to the electric signature command of the nonvolatile memory. Nonvolatile read the model number of the memory, the own program is accomplished by writing a program sent from the transmission side apparatus on the basis of the model number-specific data of the nonvolatile memory held in the nonvolatile memory.

  The object is achieved in the above-described program download method, wherein the downloaded program is firmware.

  In addition, in the above-described program download method, a write program in the receiving device is stored in advance in the non-volatile memory, and a RAM in the receiving device is downloaded when the program is downloaded. This is achieved by loading the

  Further, the object is achieved in the above-described program download method, in which the receiving device is a Bluetooth module.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently download firmware, which is a program for determining the function of a device such as a wired LAN or wireless LAN access point (AP) or a Bluetooth module, in a short time.

  Embodiments of a firmware download method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a method for downloading firmware according to an embodiment of the present invention. The reference numerals in FIG. 1 are the same as those in FIG. In the embodiment of the present invention described here, it is assumed that the device to which the firmware is downloaded is a Bluetooth module, and the processing from FIG. 3A to FIG. It is assumed that the writing program 16 is stored in the RAM 13 of the Bluetooth module 11.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the firmware download according to the embodiment of the present invention is performed by connecting a PC 17 having an input device such as a display and a keyboard (not shown) and a port 14 of the Bluetooth module 11 having the flash memory 12 to a communication line and a bus line. The connection is made by wireless or the like by Bluetooth, and the firmware is transmitted from the PC 17 to the Bluetooth module 11 through the port 14.

  Usually, the flash memory 12 provided in the Bluetooth module 11 or the like has many types due to differences in capacity, block configuration, etc., as described above, but holds the model number as the type. Information such as the model number is included in an electronic signature command that the flash memory has as a command used for authentication or the like.

  When the write program 16 is stored in the RAM 16 of the Bluetooth module 11, the write program 16 reads the electronic signature command from the flash memory 12, and extracts the flash memory-specific model number included in the read electronic signature command. . Thereafter, when the firmware to be downloaded is transmitted from the PC 17, the writing program 16 stores data unique to the model number of the nonvolatile memory held by the program, that is, the writing start address, end address, block of the flash memory. The received firmware is stored in the flash memory 12 based on the block configuration information including the size of.

  According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the PC can be aware of the block configuration of the flash memory because the write program can know the start / end address by reading the electronic signature command of the flash memory. By sending the firmware to be downloaded without any problem, it is possible to download the firmware using a writing program in common without requiring an Inf file for any type of flash, thus improving versatility. At the same time, the load of creating a program can be reduced.

  In the embodiment of the present invention described above, the writing program is stored in the RAM of the Bluetooth module from the PC and then the firmware is downloaded from the PC, as in the case of the prior art. It can be used by storing it in a flash memory in the Bluetooth module in advance. As a result, the firmware can be downloaded more efficiently in a shorter time. Hereinafter, a firmware download method in this case will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining downloading of firmware when a writing program is stored in the flash memory in the Bluetooth module in advance. The reference numerals in FIG. 2 are the same as those in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a writing program 16 is stored in advance in a part of the flash memory 12 of the Bluetooth module 11 to which the firmware is to be downloaded. When the Bluetooth module 11 is reset such as when the power is turned on, the write program 16 in the flash memory 12 is loaded into the RAM 13 as shown in FIG.

  After that, by sending the firmware to be downloaded from the PC 17 through the port, the writing program 16 reads the electronic signature command unique to the flash memory, as described above, and stores it there. Using the included information, the firmware can be stored and downloaded in an empty part of the flash memory 12.

  As described above, by storing the write program 16 in the flash memory 12 in advance, the Bluetooth module 11 automatically enters the flash memory 12 ready for writing in several μSec after resetting. It becomes possible to carry out more efficiently in a shorter time.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method for downloading firmware according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining downloading of the firmware when the flash memory in the Bluetooth module is stored in advance as a writing program. It is a figure explaining the download method of the firmware by a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

11 Bluetooth module 12 Flash memory 13 RAM
14 port 15 boot program 16 write program 17 PC
18 Inf file

Claims (4)

In the method of downloading the program from the sending device to the receiving device,
The device on the transmission side has a program downloaded to the device on the reception side,
The receiving device includes a memory for storing a writing program and a nonvolatile memory for storing a downloaded program,
When downloading the program in the transmitting device to the non-volatile memory of the receiving device,
When connecting the device on the transmission side and the device on the reception side via a communication line or bus line, and transmitting the program from the device on the transmission side to the device on the reception side,
The writing program in the device on the receiving side reads the model number of the non-volatile memory by the electric signature command of the non-volatile memory, and transmits it based on the data specific to the model number of the non-volatile memory held by its own program. A program download method, wherein a program sent from a device on the side is written into a nonvolatile memory.   2. The program download method according to claim 1, wherein the downloaded program is firmware.   3. The writing program in the receiving device is stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory, and is loaded into a RAM in the receiving device when the program is downloaded. How to download the listed program. 4. The program downloading method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving device is a Bluetooth module.

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